Bulletins - Fellowship Baptist Church (Madison, FL) - Faithlife

Catch the Context

We left off with the author encouraging the Hebrew believers to be faithful and never turn back to the Old Covenant symbols and shadows, that find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

Hebrews 6:11–12 Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.

The author reminds his Hebrew audience of the promise made by the Promise-Maker to the Father of the Jewish faith - Abraham - a great example of faith and perseverance. But as great as Abraham was…Jesus is Better. The ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham is found in what the author of Hebrews calls The Anchor for Our Souls.

The anchor played a huge role in making sure those on the boat made it home safely. As such, the ANCHOR became a powerful image to the early church found in paintings and in the design of Christians’ coffins, symbolizing people anchored by Christ, and not adrift for eternity.

The ancient audience could trust God as the Anchor for their Souls, just as we can today - because God has proven Himself trustworthy in the past.

Hebrews 6:13–14 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by himself: I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.

While God made a PROMISE to Abraham, but He also swore an oath. In a court of law in our country, a person will often place their hand on a Bible and say, “I swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” (held accountable for what one says by a higher authority)

But God has no higher authority to hold Him accountable to His promise, so God swore by Himself. “I swear to myself” that I will bless you and will greatly multiply you. Consider the gravity of God’s promise to Abraham.